Feature: Women, Faith and Action

By Pirjo-Liisa Penttinen

The World YWCA history is rooted in faith-driven social action. The women who pioneered the YWCA movement were Christians committed to service. Christianity to these women meant faith and action that improved the lives of women and girls as they faced industrialisation, urban migration and war. Mary Jane Kinnaird, born in 1816, was a philanthropist committed to young women’s well-being. Kinnaird was concerned about the safety of young women who moved to London city, often alone, to work or serve in the Crimean war. She raised funds and in 1855 set up housing for young single women in London. Equipped with a library, Bible classes and employment bureau, the housing provided a ‘warm Christian atmosphere’. Kinnaird and her associates hoped to help young women cope with the pressures of work and believed it was important to care for the souls of young women along with their physical and mental health.

Emma Robarts, born around 1818, was also committed to young women. She set up a prayer circle in her hometown on the outskirts of London. In 1855, she brought together 23 women to hold intercession prayer for young women—they called themselves the Young Women’s Christian Association. The group went beyond prayer and reached out to the young women they prayed for and involved them in activities to build the mind, body and spirit. The movement spread in the 1860s and 1870s committed to ‘mind, body and spirit’ –a slogan that remains strong in the YWCA movement to date.

In 1877, Emma Robarts and Mary Jane Kinnaird met and merged their associations into one national movement for young women. It was the spiritual strength that resided in each of them that made them truly devoted as volunteers and women who gave their talent and resources to ensure all women experience abundant life. The legacy of their Christian identity is present in the YWCA movement today.

Finding balance

The YWCA’s Christian heritage presents some very pertinent questions for the movement today. For some associations, a Christian heritage makes it difficult to address women’s human rights issues when Christian history is steeped in patriarchy. For other associations, a Christian heritage raises barriers that make it hard to reach the constituency they serve. To be credible the YWCA needs to respond to the issues of the day and be relevant in a modern society without being untruthful to its history. This challenge is daunting.

Yet some argue that it is precisely because of its Christian heritage that the YWCA is inclusive and offers hospitality to ‘the other’; most YWCAs open their services to women of all faiths and religions and women at the edge of society. Many associations address topics that may be difficult for the Church to discuss. But finding a balanced relevant Christian perspective is not always easy.

Although the challenges women and young women face today are not very different from the challenges the founders of the YWCA worked so hard to address, in many ways, ideology and theology has changed. Over the past 100 year, the World YWCA Council has on several occasions reviewed the World YWCA Constitution to amend language on the Christian principle; most recently in 2007. Amendments have allowed member associations to operate as civil organisations where laws prohibit religious expression in public places. Associations for whom a Christian basis is vital, the revised Constitution still offers a Christian perspective. By asking difficult questions and constantly reviewing its relevance in a changing world, the YWCA movement has managed to stay relevant.

Advocacy and Christianity: can the two meet?

The World YWCA strategic framework invites member association to respond to sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV and AIDS and violence against women—all difficult topics for anyone to discuss, whether from a Christian perspective or not. But women in the YWCA have found creative ways of finding inspiration from Christian principles to justify strong action on the issues most relevant to women today.

A woman is raped, her name is Tamara. A widow with no right to inherit property becomes a migrant, her name is Ruth. A young single woman is pregnant in a society where marriage is valued, her name is Mary. The stories of these women are found in the Bible and can inspire the advocacy work of the YWCA. In fact, the YWCA is in a good position to bring global advocacy ideas to the community level and relate them to everyday life. Through Bible Studies that adopt a woman’s perspective on biblical stories, women in the YWCA can and do develop Christian driven action to respond to the pressing issues women face today.

Drawing inspiration form the Bible is, however, tricky. Trapping women in morality or rationalising patriarchy through the stories and texts in the Bible is just as easy as finding justification for women’s empowerment and gender equality. After all, women’s leadership—although not altogether absent—is often downplayed in the Bible. Thankfully, resources for such studies abound, from literature published by the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians to articles published on the Ecumenical Women at the United Nations’ blog (see box for list of resources).

Women in the church

The YWCA is neither a church nor a religious community, but many associations have close ties with a church community. Where would the Church be without women? Just think how empty, silent and coffee- or tea-free churches would be with out women! But women offer more than serve coffee and assist in Bible Studies and worship.

The Church can learn from the YWCA on how to identify gender-responsive solutions to address the challenges in the community. As it happens, many female church leaders from around the world have roots in the YWCA. As such, women in the YWCA can and should play a key role in church leadership and defining the future of Christian identity.

Working with the Church and religious leaders, the YWCA can empower women and encourage women. At the global level, the World YWCA works closely with ecumenical organisations such as the World Council of Churches and participates on the Global Christian Forum.

Faith without action is futile. YWCA work is inspired by Christian principle and a commitment to women’s full and equal participation in society. By responding to the challenges women face and providing workable and effective solutions, women in the YWCA remain true to the founding principles of the movement.

Pirjo-Liisa Penttinen is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, General Secretary of the YWCA of Finland and representative of the World YWCA at the Global Christian Forum.